Brush and supply-tube unit



y 31, 1956 M. STOLAREVSKY 2,756,450

BRUSH AND SUPPLY-TUBE UNIT Filed Oct. 9, 1952 Uite ttes atent BRUSH AND SUPPLY-TUBE UNIT Mihail Stolarevsky, Pittsburgh, Pa.

Application October 9, 1952, Serial No. 313,932

4 Claims. (Cl. 15135) This invention relates generally to a brushing appliance and, in particular, to a brush and supply-tube unit including a brush such as a tooth brush, with provisions whereby it may be semi-permanently mounted on a supply tube such as a collapsible tube of the type in which paste dentifrice is sold, thus providing a unitary brush with an integral supply of paste, adapted to be used as a single toilet article.

It has been proposed heretofore to decrease the inconvenience attendant on the use of a separate tooth brush and dentifrice container by providing a unitary case or holder adapted to receive both brush and container. Such arrangements usually require the transfer of the dentifrice from the original container such as a collapsible tube, to a special container fitting in the case or holder. These devices, however, have not proved satisfactory because of the necessity of filling the special dentifrice container and the fact that the separate brush and container, together with the case, make three articles to be handled instead of two in the case of a conventional brush and dentifrice container.

I have invented a novel brushing appliance especially adapted for use with a supply tube or other container for dentifrice or the like, whereby the brush and tube form a unitary device yet the contents of the tube may be applied to the ends of the brush bristles in the same manner as when using a separate brush and tube. I thus obtain the convenience of a single article embodying both brush and dentifrice supply and make use of the original container in which the dentifrice is purchased. In a preferred construction, the invention includes a frame adapted to be slipped over a dentifrice tube and a brush having at the end thereof a threaded closure adapted to be screwed on the threaded nozzle of the tube. The back of the brush includes a handle portion and means pivotally connected thereto whereby the tube may be shifted so as to discharge dentifrice onto the ends of the bristles, after which the brush may be used in the ordinary manner when the handle portion is restored to normal position.

A complete understanding of the invention may be obtained from the following detailed description and explanation which refer to the accompanying drawings illustrating the present preferred embodiment and certain modifications. In the drawings,

Fig. 1 is a plan view of my invention showing the brush mounted on a conventional collapsible tube;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation thereof;

Fig. 3 is a side elevation showing the tube unscrewed from the closure;

Fig. 4 is an end View;

Fig. 5 is a side elevation showing the tube swung to paste-applying position;

Fig. 6 is a side elevation of a modification;

Fig. 7 is a side elevation of a further modification;

Fig. 8 is a side elevation of the structure of Fig. 7 showing the parts in paste-applying position; and

Fig. 9 is a sectional view taken along the plane of line IX--IX of Fig. 7.

Referring now in detail to the drawings, and for the present, to Figs. 1 through 4, my brushing appliance indicated generally at 10 comprises a. brush back 11 provided with the usual bristles 12 and having a short handle portion 11a with which is formed integrally a closure 13 adapted to be screwed on the nozzle of a collapsible tube T. The sides of the handle portion 1111 have slots 16 extending therealong and a pair of spaced side bars or links 14 have projections 17 at one end fitting in the slots whereby the bars may slide along and pivot relative to the handle portion. At the other end, the bars are pivoted to a ring 18 fitting snugly around the nozzle end of the tube inwardly of the threaded portion thereof. A reinforcing frame 19 fitted on tube T includes side rails 20 extending along the sides of the tube and a collar 21 bearing against the nozzle end thereof. The frame is so made that the rails 20 tend to draw together and thus exert a constant spring pressure on the sides of the tube to hold the frame thereon. The ends of the rails opposite the collar 21 have slots 22 therein to receive the ends of the flattened fold which closes the end of the tube opposite the nozzle end.

Figs. 1 and 2 show the parts of the device in position for use in brushing the teeth. The tube T serves as an extension of handle portion. 11a, being reinforced by frame 19. When it is desired to apply paste from tube T to the brush bristles, the tube is rotated to unscrew its nozzle from closure 13. This causes handle portion 11a to slide away from the tube. When the closure has cleared the nozzle endof the tube, the tube'may be swung up to the paste-applying position shown in Fig. 5 by pivoting the tube on the side bars 14 and the latter on the brush handle. When the desired amount of paste has been applied, the parts may be restored to normal position by the reverse of the operations described.

When first applying the brush proper to a tube, the original cap of the tube is discarded and ring 18 is fitted on the nozzle end of the tube. It may be composed of material having elasticity such as to permit it to be stretched sufficiently to pass over the threads and then contract beyond them or it may be threaded so as to screw over the nozzle end and beyond the thread thereof. In any event, the tube must have a reduced neck inwardly of the thread on the nozzle end so that ring 18 will hold the brush against removal from the tube in normal use. It is possible, of course, to replace either the tube when exhausted or the brush when worn out, while retaining the other.

Fig. 6 shows a slight modification of the structure described above in which the brush back 11' is offset from the handle portion, thus permitting a different position of the tube relative to the bristles when applying paste thereto.

Figs. 7 through 9 show a further modification. In this form of the device, a closure 25 has reinforcing side rails 26 extending therefrom along the sides of the paste tube 27. The closure 25 is screwed on the nozzle end of tube 27 in lieu of the original cap thereof. A delivery tube 28 extends outwardly beyond the closure and has a passage 29 therethrough whereby paste may flow from tube 27 onto the bristles 36 of a brush back 31. The brush back has an integral handle portion composed of side bars 32 and tube 28 is normally disposed therebetween as shown in Fig. 7. The side bars have inward projections 33 fitting in slots 34 extending along the sides of tube 28. A stud 35 at the end of tube 28 fits tightly in a hole 36 in the end of the brush back, thus locking the parts in the position shown in Fig. 7. In this position, a web 37 connecting the side bars, closes the end of passage 29. When it is desired to apply paste to the bristles, tube 28 is pulled away from the brush back to free the stud from the hole 36 and the tube is then tilted and pushed forward as shown in Fig. 8, to bring the outlet of passage 29 over the bristles. When the proper amount of paste has been applied, the

parts are restored to the'position shown in Fig. 7 and the brush is used in the customary manner. As in the case of the device of Figs. 1 through 5, that of Figs. 7 through 9 maybe replaced independently of the tube 27 and the latter, when empty, may be replaced simply by transferring the closure to anew tube.

' It will be apparent from the foregoing that the invention provides an efiective unitary brushing device incorporating both brush and dentifrice supply in a single article. The brush may be applied to an ordinary paste tube. While intended specially for toothbrushes, it may also be used for other brushes where it is desirable to have a ready supply of cleaning agent. When once applied to the tube, the brush remains firmly united therewith until it is desired to replace the tube or the brush. This means that the user has only one article instead of two to keep track of, which is a great convenience, particularly when travel- Although I have illustrated and described only a preferrred embodiment and a modification, it will be understood that changes in the details of the invention as disclosed, may be made without'departing from the spirit thereof or the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A brush adapted to be united with a supply tube having a nozzle at one end, comprising a bristled brush back, a handle portion integral with said brush back, a closure secured to the end of said handle portion adapted to be screwed onto the tube nozzle, spaced side bars pivoted to said handle portion and slidable relative thereto, and means securing said bars to said nozzle rotatably.

2. A brush adapted to be united with a supply tube having a nozzle at one end, comprising a bristled back,

a handle portion integral with said back, a closure secured to the end of said handle portion adapted to be secured onto the tube nozzle, spaced side bars pivoted to and slidable along said handle portion, and a ring fitting rotatably on said nozzle, said bars being pivoted to said ring.

3. A brush unit comprising a closure adapted to fit over the nozzle of a collapsible tube, a brush back secured to said closure, spaced parallel side bars extending from said brush back toward said tube, a ring rotatable on said nozzle, said bars being pivoted at one end to said ring, and a pin-and-slot connection between the other end of said side bars and said back permitting pivotal and sliding movement of the bars relative to said closure.

4. A brush adapted to cooperate with a supply tube having a nozzle at one end, comprising a bristled back, a

handle portion integral with said back, a closure secured to the end of said handle portion adapted to be screwed onto the tube nozzle, a ring rotatable on said nozzle, a pair of spaced parallel side bars pivoted at one end to said brush back and at the other to said ring and means connecting said side bars to said handle portion for sliding as well as pivotal movement relative to said brush back.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,062,480 Larocque May 20, 1913 1,659,628 Greenblatt Feb. 21, 1928 1,776,808 Hawksley Sept. 30, 1930 2,065,641 Bouchard Dec. 29, 1936 2,133,295 Hollenbeck Oct. 18, 1938 2,370,414 Ostrander. Feb. 27, 1945 

